Bowery Mission Residents Photograph Their Lives
14 photos
<p>"I known Mikey for twenty years, before he was blind. He used to sell loosies and joints. I was fifteen when we met. He was about forty. He's been around the Bowery since the '80s. When I was on the street he would let me stay at his house sometimes and shower and get something to eat." Laurie Nixon, "Mikey"</p>
<p>"This reminds me of my mom- the lady leg and the big splotch over the rest of her. She left me when I was two." Robert Perry, "Mom"</p>
<p>"This is a park with a display of Puerto Rican history. There were four to five walls. These people gave me inspiration because they started out poor and then made something." Frank M. Oquendo, "Puerto Rican History"</p>
<p>"This is how I dress." Irvin Andrew, "How I Dress"</p>
<p>"These are bibles at the Bowery. There are many types and languages. They provide lessons from God on a daily basis." Jesse Beyan, "Bibles"</p>
<p>"I've been homeless on and off since I was twelve. I never really had a bed. This bed looks beautiful...like a dream. I usually sleep in the Bowery Mission or on a park bench or I take the A train to Far Rockaway and back three times and that gets me some sleep. I'm 57 now." Robert Perry, "Like a Dream"</p>
<p>"This is the clothing room. The first thing people see is the tie rack. It shows people the promise of what could be." Jesse Beyan, "Clothing Room"</p>
<p>"People look at me and think I'm weird because I'm homeless. Some homeless people think I'm weird too. So this picture is me turning it back. Look at yourself." Cleveland Gibbs, "No, You're Weird"</p>
<p>"This is a shelter where I've been for twenty days. This is how the shelter is set up. You get a bed and a locker. I was on the street for four years, except for the winter when I slept in the Bowery Mission." Cleveland Gibbs, "Bed and Locker"</p>
<p>"This reminds me of Jesus and the boat. When he walked on water and all that. This makes me think of how Jesus fed all the people and made sure everyone had enough fish and food to eat."- Laurie Nixon, "Jesus Boat"</p>
<p>"This is a welcoming hallway. I call it the hallway of hope. It's a long walk but on the other side there's help- clothes, shower, restroom..." Jesse Beyan, "Hallway of Hope"</p>
<p>"My mom told me that when she was pregnant with me she went to Arim Racetrack in Trinidad and maybe me in my mother's womb hearing the clip clop of the horses running is the reason why I like the racetrack today." Sean Collins, "Aqueduct Racetrack"</p>
<p>"The med van helps me a lot. They give me diabetes medication and send me to doctors appointments." Frank M. Oquendo, "Med Van"</p>
<p>"This is stainless steel. It's how I earn some pennies- through scrap. I scrap at least three (sometimes five) times a week." Dennis Brown, "Stainless Steel"</p>